Difference Between State & University Colleges

Hana LaRock

After high school, many students will go on to an institution of higher learning to continue their studies and prepare for the future. When you start applying to schools, you may notice that there are options to apply to colleges and universities. While it may seem that the two are one and the same, colleges and universities do have their differences. This is especially true if you're comparing a public state school versus a private university. And you may want to consider these differences before you start applying.

What is a College?

The word "college" can mean many different things depending on where you're from. For instance, in many countries around the world, college is equivalent to the high school level in the United States. But in the U.S., college is where you go after high school.

The term "college" typically refers to community colleges (two-year schools) and four-year schools.College is where you go to earn your undergraduate degree, whether that be an associate's or bachelor's.

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A college is a good place to be introduced to the world of higher learning. It's a chance to explore different options and study different things. You can try out various classes before declaring your major and you can get involved in clubs on campus. College is a great place to transition to adulthood after high school, make some friends and try new experiences.

What is a University?

According to Southern Utah University, or SUU, "A university is an institution of higher learning that offers both undergraduate and graduate programs." Universities can be very big, carrying classes of more than 30,000 students. They offer a variety of different academic programs and may have a world-renowned reputation for one specific field of study. A university can be a great choice for students who want to stay at the same school through the graduate or professional level.

Universities generally have large campuses that can hold many students. There may even be a hospital or primary school on the college campus, where students can go do the necessary field work required for their field of study. Universities can have everything from Greek life to sports teams, and the atmosphere on a university campus can feel like one large community within its own bubble. Universities are where many students go after high school who want to have the stereotypical "college" experience, or in this case, a "university" experience.

What is the Difference Between College and University?

Now that you know what a college is and what a university is, you might be wondering how to distinguish the two. After all, it's not uncommon to hear people refer to colleges as universities and universities as colleges. While the two share a lot of similarities, there are some notable differences in the college vs. university definition.

What is the difference between college and university? First, colleges tend to be smaller than universities. There can be different colleges or "schools" within one university system, but you would never find universities within a college. For instance, Harvard University has Harvard College within it, which is the undergraduate school. Based on this, it's normal to refer to a university also as a college, but it might be strange to refer to a college as a university.

This is also important to consider when choosing to apply to either a college or university because colleges tend to have smaller class sizes with more individual attention for the student, whereas universities might not. (There are exceptions because there are many small universities.) However, universities make up for this by offering more programs and activities for students than colleges typically do.

All this being considered, there are some exceptions or areas where the distinction between universities and colleges is unclear. For example, according to Best Value Schools, the College of William & Mary is a college, even though they offer graduate programs in addition to undergraduate programs. This is confusing because colleges do not typically have graduate programs, which is one of the best ways to distinguish between the two. However, as long as the school has the program you're looking for, at the end of the day, it's just a name.

What is the Difference Between State Universities and Regular Universities?

What is the difference between state university and university? According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of state college is, "A college or university that is financially supported by a state government, often specializes in a branch of technical or professional education, and often forms part of the state university."

Most state universities actually have the word "state" in their name, such as "Ohio State University" or "Texas State University." Otherwise, many U.S. states tend to have a network of schools. For instance, New York, which has the SUNY (State University of New York) system, with more than 60 campuses within it, according to SUNY.edu website. Schools in this system have names such as "SUNY Oswego" or "SUNY Purchase."

"Regular" universities, on the other hand, can be either public or private, while state universities and colleges are almost always public. Private schools can be great schools, for instance, the Ivy League schools are all private. But with that comes higher costs and sometimes more competitiveness in terms of admissions.

There are many benefits to attending a state college, the biggest benefit probably being the cost, according to Scholarships.com. For residents of that same state, the cost of attendance is often significantly lower than that of private schools in the same state.

The Bottom Line

There is a difference between colleges and universities. But whether you choose to apply to colleges, universities or both, one is not really better than the other. It just matters what makes the most sense for you, your future and what kind of experience you're hoping to have.

About the Author

Hana LaRock is a freelance content writer from New York, currently living in Mexico. She has spent the last 5 years traveling the world and living abroad and has lived in South Korea and Israel. Before becoming a writer, Hana worked as a teacher for several years in the U.S. and around the world. She has her teaching certification in Elementary Education and Special Education, as well as a TESOL certification. Hana spent a semester studying abroad at Tel Aviv University during her undergraduate years at the University of Hartford. She hopes to use her experience to help inform others. Please visit her website, www.hanalarockwriting.com, to learn more.